Want to get smarter? Have a kid.

The human brain makes new cells constantly over a lifetime, but the cells are most likely to survive and flourish when challenged with emotional and novel experiences. Scientists now say that parenthood provides the perfect "revolution for the brain."

After all, what could be more challenging than teaching a person to use the toilet? Or figuring out which cry means "I'm hungry?" Or coming up with new and different ways to disguise green vegetables?

Leading neuroscientists across the country are studying the ways that parenthood -- and, in particular, motherhood -- strengthens our mental abilities. One study showed that mother lab rats, like working mothers, excel at time management and efficiency, racing through mazes to get back to their babies as quickly as possible. Other research revealed that hormones created by labor and breastfeeding are linked to the ability to learn.

Katherine Ellison explores this concept in her book, The Mommy Brain. I heard Ellison talk about the mental gymnastics required by motherhood on my local pubic radio station, as I drove home from a late-night run to the drugstore for gas drops to administer to my newborn.

I laughed out loud when she said the mommy brain is a smarter brain, but then I realized just how often I apply complex problem solving skills in my job as a work-at-home mom. Dads aren't exactly slouches in this department, either. Keeping these kids alive is a lot of work, y'all.

Did parenthood make you smarter? Do you agree with Ellison, or is it just more mother-knows-best propaganda?

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It is hard to find anything good to say about the economic crisis that has gripped not just the United States, but much of the world. People are losing their retirement savings, their jobs, their homes, their sense of security. Many of us have altered our normal spending habits and instead of going out to dinner or a movie, we stay home and find something else to do. Apparently in Britain, that 'something else' is sex. And according to some, this at-home recreation is having an impact on the sales maternity clothes, pregnancy tests, and sex toys (not necessarily in that order).

While many businesses are downsizing and wondering just how they will survive, those who specialize in sex-related merchandise are experiencing a boom. Pharmacies report a 20% increase in the sales of pregnancy tests and one chain selling maternity wear boasts of a 46% increase. As Miranda Levy, editor of Mother & Baby Magazine, points out: "What's cheaper and more fun than making babies?



Making babies with the help of sex toys, that's what! One online sex toy shop claims to have experienced a 27% increase in sales since the economy began melting down. "We are gobsmacked by the upturn in sales, while everyone else seems to be suffering. We've especially noticed the rise in sales of couples' toys, showing that people are buying for play with their partners," said Monique Carty, a spokesperson for the store.

I think it is great that couples are rekindling their romance in these times of trouble. But in about nine months, those who end up shopping in the maternity stores are going to find that staying home and having sex is a play now, pay later kind of fun. Ultimately, dinner and a movie would have been much cheaper.

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Why we love these: The neutral colors work well with everything, and the plaid is subtle enough to be functional rather than over-the-top.

Wear them with: A button-down for the office, a fitted tee for the weekend, a bright cardigan for warmth.

Gap perfect windowpane plaid trouser, $59.50. Machine washable.

Why we love these: The classic styling -- flat front, wide leg, slightly longer inseam -- makes them perfect for the office. But the easy-care fabric makes them a must for busy moms.

Wear them with: Round-toed pumps for the office, boots for the weekend.

Old Navy essential classic rise trousers, $32.50.

Why we love these: A basic wide-leg trouser is a good addition to any wardrobe, and is flattering to any figure.

Wear them with: Pointy flats for work and driving mocs for soccer.

New York & Company Park Avenue Pant, $39.95 currently $14.99.

Why we love these: The combination of funky plaid and flared leg gives these trousers an edgy feel that we really dig.

Wear them with: A slim jacket for work or a fitted turtleneck for the weekend.

The Limited Lexie fit coin and slash pocket flare trousers, $79.50. The Lexie is designed for women whose waists are smaller than their hips.

Why we love these: Wool trousers are a worthwhile investment, particularly in colder climates; they are practical and elegant and incredibly versatile.

Wear them with: A cashmere sweater for the office -- and for the weekend, too. Or a thin wool sweater over a fitted tee.

Lands' End wool blend plain front trousers, $109.50. Worth the investment.

Working moms have to do a lot during the day; there's the work stuff (meetings and sales calls and paperwork) and the mom stuff (car pool and soccer practice and homework). And then there's all the other stuff that needs to get done -- laundry and groceries and dinner and bedtime stories.

Your working mom wardrobe shouldn't be split into WORK clothes and MOM clothes; there's no reason you can't wear the same pair of pants to a meeting and to a soccer game. Look for classic cuts and washable fabrics; shop for pants in neutral colors that will work with everything else in your closet. But don't be afraid of pattern -- a great plaid or tweed pant is can be versatile and fun.

We've found five pairs of pants that can go from a meeting to the park with ease; it all depends on how you wear them. Take a look and think about retiring your Mom Jeans and replacing them with something a little more chic and grown up -- and a little more professional.

In this country, sadly, we don't encourage advanced studies anywhere near as much as we should. In fact, it seems almost the opposite -- those who are passionate about hard science are the target of ridicule at best and victims of institutionalized physical abuse at the worst. And yet, while the stars of track and field can go on to become lawyers and own car dealerships, it is the nerds of the world that seem to make the difference -- people like Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak and, yes, Grace Hopper.

But can we afford this culture of anti-science where the brightest students are stuffed into lockers just for being smart? According to scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we cannot. And when it comes to girls, doubly not. "It is deemed uncool," the researchers wrote, "within the social context of USA middle and high schools to do mathematics for fun; doing so can lead to social ostracism. Consequently, gifted girls, even more so than boys, usually camouflage their mathematical talent to fit in well with their peers."

The problem is that "a majority of the top young mathematicians in this country were not born here," says Janet Mertz, the professor who led the study. "We are wasting this valuable resource," Mertz noted. "Girls can excel in math at the very highest level. There are some truly phenomenal women mathematicians out there."

She's right, of course. Since men are no longer banging women on the head and dragging them back to their caves, we need every great scientific mind we can get, regardless of what type of body it might be in.

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How does a woman signal to a man that she is fertile and about to ovulate? Researchers have found that women raise the pitch of their voice when talking in social situations; the better the timing for conception, the higher the pitch. This, apparently, makes them more attractive to members of the opposite sex.

The researchers at the University of California recorded female undergraduate students and noted that they spoke in higher tones when they were nearer to an egg being released. The difference, however, only showed up when they said a sentence they would normally say in a social setting, such as "hi, I'm a student at UCLA." The change was not apparent for simple vowel sounds.

A study at the State University of New York recently found that men and women both preferred female voices more when the speaker was more fertile; perhaps now we know why. Perhaps, also, we know why sopranos always get the lead roles.

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At some point in all our lives, we become officially too old for trick-or-treating. This doesn't mean that we stop celebrating Halloween, it just means we do it in a completely different way. For most, that means hosting or attending a grown-up Halloween party. I've been to many adult Halloween parties in several different parts of the country and there is one thing that seems to hold true no matter where I live: on Halloween, men like dressing up in women's clothing and women like dressing up in as little as possible.

I don't know what the deal is with that, but I am not into it. Not that I have anything against tramps or cross-dressers, I just think it is a little unoriginal. Not to mention chilly. My main goal when choosing a costume is simple: warmth. My secondary goal is to achieve my first goal without spending lots of money. Last year I was a candy corn. My costume was a homemade affair consisting of white, yellow and orange felt sewn together in wide bands into a floor-length A-line dress. Held up by simple straps, worn over a white turtle-neck, and topped off with a white beanie, it was like wearing a blanket and required only basic sewing skills.

Speaking of basic sewing skills - you got 'em? If so, are you whipping up a costume for yourself this year? Do you have a great adult costume idea that requires little or no sewing? Most importantly - is it warm?

"Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast, / To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak." So wrote William Congreve, in The Mourning Bride, way back in 1697. Turns out the guy knew what he was talking about. Researchers in Taiwan studied pregnant women and found those who listened to lullabies and classical music over a two-week period lowered their levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.

About half the women in the study were given four CD's and told to listen to at least one of them every day for two weeks. Each woman got a CD of classical music, one of lullabies, one of nature sounds, and one with new age versions of children's songs. "Pregnancy is a unique and stressful period for many expectant mothers and they suffer anxiety and depression because of the long time period involved," explained Professor Chung-Hey Chen of Kaohsiung Medical University, who led the study. "Our study shows that listening to suitable music provides a simple, cost-effective and non-invasive way of reducing stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy."

This comes as no surprise to me; I've known for a long time that a little Vivaldi, Ray Lynch, or Beethoven before a trip to the dentist makes a huge difference. It's good to see the idea put to use making pregnancy a little easier.

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As if sleep deprivation and hourly diaper blow-outs aren't enough, dressing her post-baby body can reduce a new mother to a weeping mess. After months of wearing polyester smocks, trying to shove your now-unfamiliar shape into your old size 10 jeans is agonizing.

Most new moms feel ambivalent at best about their bodies. Yes, it is a miracle machine, creating a brand-new person. I mean, wow -- your body made a human being from scratch. Amazing! But the process wreaks havoc on your abdomen and bottom.

In fact, a survey of 7,000 new mothers revealed that more than half of that number felt their body image worsened after becoming a mom. To make matters worse, high expectations make it even harder to cope with the postpartum bod -- 65 percent of mothers expected to be back to their fighting weight by the baby's first birthday, but a poll of mothers of 1- and 2-year-olds showed that more than half of them were still carrying extra pounds.

OK, so there's a little more junk in the trunk than there used to be. A girl still has to get dressed.

My problem is that I always tell myself I'll wait, and buy new clothes when I lose the weight. Ha! Lose the weight! So I'll be buying new clothes when my son is, what, 18? This time, I vowed not to pretend that I'll lose 20 pounds in two months.

The first step to dressing your new body is honesty. I'm not a size 10 anymore. And my hours and hours of watching What Not To Wear during nocturnal feedings helped me realize that size, in this case, doesn't matter. Do the clothes fit you? Then ignore the number.

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Are you a mom? Do you Twitter? Would you like to meet other moms who Twitter?

Twitter is a social networking site that allows participants to engage in "microblogging." Twitterers post updates that may not exceed 140 characters; the trick is to be funny or engaging or provocative in as few words as possible. Other Twitter members can follow you and read your updates, and you can do the same. Twitter is like blogging, but faster and more concise and possibly more personal.

Twitter just might be the future of blogging.

One Twitter member, Megan Calhoun, saw an opportunity to bring moms together via the 140 character update; in September, she founded Twittermoms, an online community for moms who Twitter. Calhoun says that as with most mommy blogs, Twittermoms was born out of a desire to create community. "As a stay at home mom, you sometimes don't get enough adult interaction during the day. Twitter was great for connecting with friends, and I noticed a lot of moms on it – but no easy way to learn more about them, or make decisions about who would be really interesting to connect with on Twitter." Her husband joked that she needed to start a site to fill that niche, and so, on September 2, Calhoun did. "I added the URL to my Twitter.com profile and the next morning we had four members. A month later, membership rushed past 2,200 active members. A cool new mom joins every few minutes. It's been quite a rush!"

When I married the first time, I was quite young and didn't think twice about taking my husband's last name as my own. That's what a woman does when she marries, right? But when I married again nearly 20 years later, I didn't even consider taking my new husband's name. Well, maybe I considered it. But after realizing that he didn't care what I called myself, I knew that I would always and forever be a Maple. What we didn't discuss during those pre-marital negotiations was him taking my last name.



I don't think he would have done it even if I had suggested it, but there are men who would - and do - happily change their last names to that of their wives. There are no real statistics on the subject, but anecdotal evidence suggests that this might even be a trend. And while this trend my seem terribly modern to some, it was actually not uncommon in 14th and 15th century England for men to take their wives' last names if hers was more prominent.

These days, I imagine a man would have a better reason than popularity to exchange the name he was born with for his wife's. Maybe hers is easier to pronounce. Maybe a hyphenated version of both their names would be long and awkward. Or maybe he just likes her name better. I understand why couples want to have the same last name - to show they are united as a family and for the sake of the children. But I see no reason why it must be his last name. Do you?

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